Calculating machine



Nov. 19, 1940. T. M. BUTLER CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l "H IIIIIIIIIiIiI By Thomas/iBuI/er p A TTORNEYS Nov. 19, 1940. -r. M. BUTLER CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Thomas M Butler A TTORNEYS NOV. 19, 1940. UT 2,221,861

CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed 001;. 12, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR BY Thomas ["LBul/e flow 7 ATTORNEYJ NOV. 19, 1940. BUTLER 2,221,861

CALCULATING MACHINE Original Filed Oct. 12, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR BY Thomas/113M161 W M ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CALCULATING MACHINE Original application October 12, 1935, Serial No.

44,751. 1937, Serial No. 144,283

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a tens-transfer mechanism. The application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 44,751, filed October 12, 1935.

The main object of the invention is to provide an improved tens-transfer mechanism.

Other and more particular objects will appear from the following specification and drawings.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a right side elevation of a machine in which the tens-transfer mechanism may be used.

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation and section of said machine showing some of the controls for the tens-transfer mechanism.

Fig. '3 is a partial side elevation and section of the tens-transfer mechanism showing .the same with the parts in the position they occupy after an initial transfer has taken place.

Fig. 4 is a detailed right side elevation and section of the tens-transfer mechanism, a mechanism being shown for each of two registers, of the machine illustrated, the parts being in positions they occupy after a full transfer has occurred.

The invention is shown as applied to the machine disclosed in my co-pending application heretofore referred to but it will be understood that it may be applied to other types of machines as well.

General machine construction The -machine is provided with a plurality of banks of depressible amount keys i that are used for indexing an item in the machine. When said keys are depressed, their stems are adapted to arrest index bars 2 that are connected to actuator racks 3.

The machine is given a cycle of operation by first rocking a main drive shaft 4 counterclockwise from the position of Fig. 1 and then returning it clockwise. These two movements are often called the forward and the return stroke of the machine. The drive shaft may be oscillated by means of a hand crank or by a motor, a portion of the motor being shown at 5 in Fig. 1. When a hand crank is used, it is connected directly to the shaft 4.

During the forward stroke of the machine, the index bars 2 move forward to differential positions determined by the depressed amount'keys and this differentially positions the actuator racks. The racks differentially position type bars 6 (Fig. 1), and the hammers I of a printing mech- Divided and this application May 22,

anism are then operated near the end of the forward stroke to print the item that has been indexed.

The paper on which the type impressions are made is carried by a platen P supported on a 5 carrier 8 which, in the machine shown, is stationary.

The machine shown has a main registering mechanism and a plurality of subordinate or multiple registering mechanisms. The tenstransfer mechanism is shown in connection with each but will be described in connection with the main register.

Addition is performed by rocking the register into engagement with the actuator racks after they have been differentially positioned. The actuators are then returned to normal during the return stroke of the machine which causes the item indexed by the keys to be entered in the register.

The machine is normally conditioned for addition but it may be conditioned for subtraction by means of a subtract lever or, as in this case, by means of a subtract key Subt. Subtraction is performed by rocking the register into engagement with the actuators before they are moved to differential position and by then rocking the register out of engagement with said actuators after they have been moved to differential position. This results in rotating the register pinions in the opposite direction to which they are rotated for addition.

A bank of control keys is provided along the right-hand side of the keyboard to control the conditioning of the machine for various functions such as totaling, sub-totaling, etc. Totals and sub-totals may be taken, the machine may be non-added, errors may be corrected, and various other controls provided, but these mechanisms will not be described in detail in this case as they are not necessary for an understanding of the tens-transfer mechanism.

Main registering mechanism plication and not of particular importance here. It is suflicient to understand that, at the beginning of the return stroke of the machine, the cam I4 is rocked counterclockwise (Fig. 4) to move the register into engagement with the actuators. This movement occurs immediately at the beginning of the return stroke so that the register is rocked into engagement with the actuators before they start their return movement. After the actuators have been returned to normal, and near the end of the machine cycle. the register is moved out of engagement with the actuators.

More specifically, and referring to Fig. 4, the cam l4 which controls the main register is rocked bymeansoi'acrankarmn ilxedtothesame shaft as said cam, said crank arm being urged counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 4 by a spring 26a. Connected to the crank arm 29 are two links 2| and 22. The link 22 is connected to one arm of a bell crank yoke 22 pivoted on a stationary stud 22a. The other arm of the bell crank yoke 22 carries a pivoted pawl 24 having a hooked nose. This pawl also has a notch 26 near its nose and a tail piece 26. The pawl is urged counterclockwise as viewed ln Fig. 4 by a spring 21. The link 2| is connected to one arm of a bell crank lever 29 pivoted at 22a. The other arm of this bell crank has a long pawl 29 pivoted to it at 29a. This pawl 29 is in the form of a yoke urged clockwise by a spring 96 and it has a long nose on its lower end with a notch 2| near said nose.

The pawls 24 and 29 are adapted to engage the stud l8, which is rocked during each machine cycle, for the purpose of rocking the main register into and out of engagement with the actuators as will presently appear.

The main register controls are normally in addition condition as shown in Fig. 4. As the stud l9 moves upward it moves along the edge of pawl 24 and, near the end of the upward movement of said stud, the pawl is rocked counterclockwise by its spring to cause the notch 26 to engage over the stud 6. During the return movement of stud II the pawl 24 is moved downwardly which rocks the bell crank yoke 22 counterclockwise and pulls the link 22 forward to rock the register controlling cam |4 counterclockwise to move the register into engagement with the actuators. This movement of the register occurs immediately at the beginning of the return stroke of the machine so that the register is rocked into engagement with the actuators before they start on their return movement.

After the actuators have been returned to normal, and near the end oi the cycle of machine operation, the register is moved out of engagement with the actuators. When the bell crank yoke 29 was rocked counterclockwise as above explained and the link 22 pulled forward, the link 2| was also pulled forward. The latter rocked the bell crank 29 clockwise about its pivot 29a which pulled the pawl 29 upward. The parts are proportioned so that near the end of the downward movement of stud l2 said stud engages the long nose of pawl 29 and pulls the pawl downward to rock bell crank 29 counterclockwise to thrust neck 2| rearward to rock cam H to release the register so that it will be pulled out of engagement with the actuators by its spring. Also, during the downward movement of stud 6, the tall 26 of pawl 24 engages a stud 22 which causes pawl 24 to be rocked clockwise so as to release itself from stud It to thereby permit the stud'to move pawl 29.

The main register is thus rocked into engagement with the actuators after they have been diiierentially positioned, continues in engagement with them during their return movement, and is moved out of engagement with them after the item has been entered on the register.

Subtraction in main register An item may be subtracted from the main register by entering the item on the amount keys, depressing the subtract key, and depressing the main register motor bar, "Main reg." (Fig. 1).

Depression of the subtract key conditions the controls for the main register so that the register will be rocked into engagement with the actuators prior to their movement, and moved out of engagement after said actuators have been diflerentially positioned. This results in rotating the register pinions in the opposite direction to their rotation for addition.

The stem of the subtract key 49 (Fig. 2) is positioned over one arm 4| of a bell crank lever pivoted on a shaft 42 and urged clockwise by a spring 42. This bell crank lever has another arm 44 carrying a stud 46 positioned to the rear of a U-shaped member 46 pivoted on the end of a lever 41 that is iournaled on shaft 42. The U-shaped member 46 is urged clockwise by a spring 49 and it has a shoulder 69 that is adapted to be positioned under a lateral lug on a projection 6| of the stem 24 of the main register motor bar. The lever 41 has an upwardly extending arm 62 carrying a stud 62 engaging the edge of an extension 64 of the subtract pawl 29. When the subtract key is depressed, the bell crank 4|44 is rocked counterclockwise, which moves stud 46 rearwardly and allows U-shaped member '46 to swing clockwise to a position where its shoulder is under the lug on motor-bar-extension 6|. If the main register motor bar is then depressed, the lever 41 will be rocked counterclockwise, which moves stud 62 away from extension 64 and allows pawl 29 to move to a position to cause notch 2| to engage stud II which is moved upwardly and then returned downwardly during each machine cycle.

Accordingly, at the beginning of a subtraction cycle of machine operation, the bell crank 22 to which pawl 29 is connected is rocked clockwise about its pivot 22a to pull link 2| forward to rock the register control cam l4 (Fig. 4) counterclockwise about its pivot Mo to cause the register to engage the actuators. As the stud l9 moves upwardly the pawl 29 is disengaged from it by reason of the fact that a projection on an extension 640 of said pawl (Fig. 4) engages a stationary lug 66 on the machine to cause the pawl to be cammed counterclockwise. Near the end of the forward stroke of the machine, that is, when the stud l9 approaches its upper limit, the stud l2 engages the nose 26 of the pawl 24 (Fig. 4), pivoted on bell crank 22. and rocks said bell crank clockwise to rock the register cam l4 clockwise to permit the register to move out of engagement with the actuators.

In order to prevent the pawl 24 from being positioned with its notch 26 over stud l6 so that it will act to rock the register back into engagement with the actuators at the beginning of the next cycle, a lever 66 is provided, which will be called the non-add" lever. This lever is positioned so that it will engage a stud 61 on pawl 24 (Fig. 2). The lever 66 is one arm of a bell crank yoke pivoted on a shaft 69 and it has a forwardly extending arm 69 on it which terminates in an abutment end adapted to be engaged by the end of arm 44 of hell crank "-44. When the subtract key is depressed, the end of arm 44 engages the end of arm 59 and rocks arm 56 clockwise to cause it to engage stud 51 to move pawl 24 to a position such that, while its nose is still in the path of stud Hi, the stud l8 will not engage in the notch in pawl 24.

The main register is thus rocked into engagement with the actuators prior to their movement and rocked out of engagement with them after they have been differentially positioned.

The cycle of machine operation for subtraction is caused by depressing the main register motor bar 33. This selects the main register for operation and disables the controls for the multiple registers, as described in the parent application, so that the item will not be subtracted from the multiple registers.

Tens-transfer mechanism The tens-transfer mechanism will effect both carries and borrows. It includes a plurality of transfer segments 69 (Fig. 3), of which there is one for each register pinion. The segments are pivoted on a shaft GI and are adapted to be engaged by the register pinions when the latter are rocked out of engagement with the actuators, the engaged position being shown in Fig. 3, and the disengaged position in Fig. 4.

Each of the register pinions II! has a wide tooth 62 (Fig. 3) adapted to engage the nose 63 of a pawl 64 when the register pinion moves from its 9 to or through its 0 position and vice versa. The pawl 64 is pivoted on a shaft 65 carried by the rockable register frame II. The lower end of the pawl has a lateral lug 66 normally positioned behind one arm of a bell crank latch lever 61 pivoted on a stationary shaft 68. The latch 61 is urged counterclockwise as viewed in Fig. 3 by a spring 59. The other arm of the bell crank latch 61 has a shoulder 10 normally positioned behind a lug H on an arm 12 pivoted on a shaft 13 and urged clockwise as viewed in Fig. 3 by a spring I4. The latched position of the parts is shown in Fig. 2. The upper end of arm 12 carries a stud 15 operating in a slot 16 in one of the transfer segments 60. It is to be understood that a plurality of pawls, arms, and latches are provided and that a given pawl 61 and arm 12 are controlled by a given register pinion and that such arm 12 controls the transfer segment 60 for the register pinion of next higher order.

Assume that the register pinions l0 are in engagement with the actuators (Fig. 3) and that the tens-transfer mechanism is in condition to borrow, that is, eifect a tens-transfer in subtraction operations. This is the condition of the mechanism as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. If a given register pinion moves from its 0 to or through its 9 position, the wide-faced tooth 62 engages the nose of pawl 64 and rocks the pawl clockwise. This rocks the bell crank latch 6'5 latchwise and releases the arm 12 which is thereupon moved clockwise by its spring 14. The movement of arm 12 is limited by reason of the fact that it is a part of a yoke having another arm I1 that limits against a cross bar 18 as shown in Fig. 3. The arm 12 moves from the dot-dash position of Fig. 3 to the full-line position and causes what is called an initial or partial transfer. The parts remain in this position until the register is rocked out of engagement with the actuators.

It will be recalled that the register is rocked out of engagement with the actuators under the control of a cam l4 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. This cam is rocked clockwise from its Fig. 3

position to release the register. Connected to this cam is a link 90 whose lower end is connected to a pivoted arm 8|. This arm has an abutment end 82 adapted to engage a roller 83 on a crank arm 84 fixed to a shaft 95 that carries the cross bar or bail 18. Arm 84 and shaft 85 are urged counterclockwise by a spring 96. Near the end of a cycle of machine operation, and after the register I0 has been rocked out of engagement with the actuators and into engagement with the transfer segments, the abutment 82 engages the roller 83 and rocks the cross bar 18 from its full-line to its dot-dash position of Fig. 3. This releases the arm 11 and enables arm 12 to be-"moved by its spring 14 from its Fig. 3 to its Fig. 4 position. This movement of arm 12 causes stud 15 to move in the slot 16 in segment 60 and move said segment counterclockwise from the Fig. 3 to the Fig. 4 position, thereby effecting a borrow. This is sometimes called the full transfer.

The description so far given explains how the transfer segments are moved to eiTect a tenstransfer but does not deal with their direction of movement. It is necessary, however, to move the segments in one direction to efiect carries in addition and in the other direction to effect borrows in subtraction.

One of the difficulties in mechanisms heretofore provided for this purpose is that, when the tens-transfer mechanism is changed from carry to borrow condition, as by changing the direction of action of a spring or otherwise, it is diflicult to avoid a slight movement of the transfer segments, and this movement is transmitted to the register pinion meshed with the segment. The result is that the pinions are moved slightly. This is undesirable, particularly where the register is to be moved from one position to another, as into and'out of a register magazine. The slight movement of the pinions may interfere with satisfactory operation. Another disadvantage of prior constructions is that, when an initial carry, or transfer, takes place, the position of the transfer segment is slightly changed and, as the register wheels engage the segments, they are moved slightly.

A further difiiculty with prior tens-transfer mechanisms operating with registers comprising a single group of pinions whose timing is changed for subtraction is that it is necessary to overcome the action of a group of springs in changing the tens-transfer mechanism from addition to subtraction condition, and vice versa. The present tens-transfer mechanism has been developed to overcome all these objections.

Referring to Fig. 3,'a directing member 99 is positioned adjacent the slot 16 in the transfer segment 90. This member has a blunt nose and constitutes one arm of a yoke 9i pivoted in shaft 6! and having another arm 92 extending rearwardly. The member 90 can be swung from the position shown in the upper part of Fig. 4 to the position shown in the lower part of said figure where the tens-transfer mechanism for the multiple registers is illustrated. When the member 90 is in the position shown in the upper part of Fig. 4, the stud 15 on arm 12 will, as the arm 12 is moved clockwise from its Fig. 3 to its Fig. 4

position, rock the segment 60 and the member 90 counterclockwise. The segment 60 has an upper lug 93 on its rear end which is engaged by the edge of arm 92 so that the segment moves with the member 90 when the latter moves counterclockwise.

0n the other hand, if the directing member 00 is in the position shown in the lower part of Fig. 4, the stud I! on arm I! will, when said arm is rocked clockwise, rock the segment 00 clockwise. The segment 60 has a lower lug 94 that is engaged by the edge of the arm 02 so that the segment 60 moves clockwise with arm 02. It thus becomes evident that, by changing the position of member 90, the direction of movement of the transfer segment may be changed. This change occurs without putting a tension of any kind on the transfer segment. The result is that, when the tens-transfer mechanism is changed from one condition to the other, there is no tendency for the transfer segments to be moved to cause the register pinions to be thrown out of alignment.

Further, when the lever 12 is changed from the dot-dash to the full-line position of Fig. 3 by an "initial carry," or transfer, the stud 15 moves in a portion of slot 16 that is concentric with the axis of lever I2 so that the transfer segment is not moved, even slightly.

The tens-transfer mechanism is normally in .add condition but it is changed automatically from carry" to "borrow as an incident to the change of the machine from addition to subtraction condition, and vice versa. The rear end of arm 92 (Fig. 3) has a notch 98 in which is positioned a ball 05. The ball 95 is urged downwardly by gravity which is preferably assisted by a spring 99 (Fig. 4). Said bail is carried by arms that form an integral part of a yoke 01 pivoted on the shaft ii. The left-hand arm of this yoke viewed from the front of the machine is numbered 96 and the right-hand arm is numbered I00 in Fig. 2.

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be recalled that the subtract key stem is positioned over one arm ll of the bell crank lever "-44 which, when the subtract key is depressed, frees the U-shaped member 46 that is pivoted on the end of lever 41. The rear end of lever 4'! is connected by a spring I00 to one arm l0l of a bail I02 pivoted at I03. The other arm I04 of this ball is positioned to engage a stud III! on an arm I00 which is integral with the yoke 91 that controls the add-subtract condition of the tens-transfer mechanism.

When the main motor bar is depressed, after the subtract key has been depressed, the U- shaped member 46 is moved downward, which rocks lever 41 counterclockwise. The latter rocks bail I02 clockwise and the yoke 91 is, in turn, r o c k e d counterclockwise. counterclockwise movement of yoke 91 moves bail 95 counterclockwise which in turn moves member 90 counterclockwise, and this changes the tens-transfer mechanism from carry to borrow condition.

From this it will be clear that depression of the subtract key conditions the mechanism, 1. e., controls the position of the U-shaped member 40, and that depression of the main motor bar moves the parts to change the tens-transfer mechanism from add to subtract condition.

The tripped transfer segments are restored upon the next movement of the register into engagement with the actuators. The cam ll must be rocked counterclockwise from its Fig. 4 position to effect such movement. When the cam rocks counterclockwise, it pulls link 00 upward which rocks arm 8| counterclockwise. Arm ll carries a restoring bail ll'l (Fig. 4) which engages the tails 11 of arms 12 and restores said arms to normal latched position. Restoration of arms I2 also restores the transfer segments to normal.

At the end of a subtract operation, and after the motor bar and subtract key are returned to normal, the parts moved by the motor bar are restored to normal, which releases the yoke 01 that is thereupon restored to normal by its spring.

I claim:

1. In a tens-transfer mechanism for calculating machine registers having a plurality of register pinions, a transfer segment for moving a register pinion, said segment having a substantially pear-shaped slot in it, an actuating member controlled by the register pinion of next lower order, said actuating member having a stud adapted to operate in said pear-shaped slot, a directing member adjacent said slot for determining the direction of action of said stud in moving said transfer segment, said directing member being freely movable to different positions relative to said slot without tending to move saidtransfer segment but being connected to said segment so that, when said actuating member is moved, said stud will move said directing member to move 'said transfer segment in one direction or the other, and means for changing the position of said directing member in accordance with the addition or subtraction condition of the machine.

2. In a calculating machine having ctuators, a register, and means for conditioning said machine for addition or subtraction in said register; a tens-transfer mechanism of the type in which, when the register pinions are disconnected from the actuators, they are connected to tenstransfer segments; said tens-transfer mechanism comprising, as to each two adjacent orders, a tens-transfer segment for one order, a pivoted actuating member for said transfer segment, means controlled by the register pinion of next lower order for causing said actuating member to be rocked to an "initial transfer" position, said actuating member having a stud on its operating in a slot in said transfer segment, the edges of said slot fitting closely against said stud and being curved on arcs whose center of curvature is the axis about which said actuating member rocks whereby said actuating member may move to initial transfer" position without moving said transfer segment and while holding said segment against movement, a directing member adjacent said slot for determining the direction of action of said stud in moving said transfer segment when said actuating member is moved to complete the tens-transfer, said directing member being freely movable to different positions relative to said slot without tending to move said transfer segment but being connected to said segment so that, when said actuating member is moved, said stud will move said directing member to move said segment, and means for changing the position of said directing member in accordance with the addition or subtraction condition of the machine.

3. In a calculating machine having actuators a register, and means for conditioning .the machine for addition or subtraction in said register;

"a tens-transfer mechanism of the type in which,

for moving said transfer segment, means for moving said member, means governed by the register pinion of next lower order for controlling said member, a driving connection between said actuating member and said transfer segment, including a camming member shiftable relative to said segment but operably connected to the segment to move it, said actuating member and its driving connection acting positively on said segment and constituting the sole means acting on said transfer segment to move it, and means conditioned atuomatically by the change of said machine from addition to subtraction condition and vice versa for shifting said camming member whereby, when said actuating member is moved, said transfer segment will be moved in one direction or the other to thereby effect carries or borrows in accordance with the addition or subtraction condition of the machine.

4. In a calculating machine having actuators, a register, and means for conditioning the machine for addition or subtraction in said register; a tens-transfer mechanism of the type in which, when the register pinions are disconnected from the actuators, they are connected with tenstransfer segments; said tens-transfer mechanism comprising, as between any two orders, a toothed transfer segment with which a register pinion may engage, a single movable actuating member for moving said transfer segment controlled by the register pinion of next lower order, means for moving said member, a pin-and-slot driving connection between said actuating member and said transfer segment, said driving connection including a slot in said transfer segment and a movable directing member operably connected to said segment to move it and positioned adjacent said slot for determining the direction of action of said driving connection on said transfer segment, and means governed by the change of said machine from addition to subtraction condition and vice versa for automatically positioning said directing member whereby, when said actuating member is moved, said transfer segment will be moved in one direction or the other to effect carries" or borrows in accordance with the addition or subtraction condition of the machine.

5. In a calculating machine having actuators, a register, and means for conditioning said machine for addition or subtraction in said register; a tens-transfer mechanism of the type in which, when the register pinions are disconnected from the actuators, they are connected to tens-transfer segments, said tens-transfer mechanism comprising, as to each two adjacent orders, a tens-transfer segment for one order, a movable actuating member for moving said transfer segment, means controlled by the register pinion of next lower order for causing said actuating member to move to an initial transfer position, a driving connection between said actuating member and said transfer segment, including a camming member shiftable relative to said segment but operably connected to the segment to move it, said connection being constructed and arranged to enable said member to move to initial transfer position without causing any movement of said segment and while holding said segment against movement, means for causing said actuating member to move to complete the tens-transfer, said actuating member and its driving connection acting positively on said segment and being the sole means acting on said segment to move it, and means for shifting said camming member to change the direction of movement of said tenstransfer segment during said completing movement of said actuating member in accordance with the addition or subtraction condition of the machine.

THOMAS M. BUTLER. 

